Tribute to Russell Wisener
It was October 2016 when Russell Wisener first walked through the doors of Vineyard Compassion and into our lives. He was in a difficult situation and needed some help from a number of our projects. Little did we know that over the next 7 years Russell would move from receiving help, to being the one who offered that help to others as part of our staff team.
Russell was kind, gentle, full of encouragement and treated everyone the same. He had a great sense of humour and greeted everyone with a big smile, he was always willing to help out and go the extra mile for anyone. I especially love what one of the Vineyard Market team remembers about Russell and Molly
“When I think of Russell, I have an image of him at the market standing laughing with his small dog held close to his chest with the dog's tongue, as always, protruding out of its mouth.”
Russell would also look out for those who were struggling, coming alongside them to share from his own experience and offer hope when things were tough. That was most evident in the work he did in the Link Logs project where he worked alongside local men, mentoring them as they journeyed back to employment. One of those men spoke of the mark that he made and the legacy he leaves,
"On meeting Russell on my first day at Link Logs he put me at ease. I saw straight away that his humour, empathy and understanding was genuine. He treated me as a friend and never once looked down on me. The jokes we shared, the stories of life experiences and things we had in common drew me and all the other lads to him."
It was obvious to all who knew Russell that he had genuinely encountered Jesus in a way that had completely transformed him, and he actively shared his story of faith in Jesus with many, inviting them to also follow the one who rescued him.
We were all heartbroken to lose Russell Wisener on 5th January 2024. He was our friend and colleague at Vineyard Compassion, a true gentleman whose life impacted so many and he will be deeply missed.
Ricky Wright
